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Chicago residents can compost their Halloween pumpkins at various Pumpkin Smash events this Saturday, promoting eco-friendly waste disposal. Participants are required to remove all decorations before bringing their pumpkins to designated locations, where they can either smash them or leave them for composting. This initiative aims to reduce landfill waste and greenhouse gas emissions.
Block Club Chicago aims to raise $30,000 to sustain its nonprofit newsroom into 2026. The funding will support local news coverage amidst an evolving media landscape. Generous donors have pledged to match contributions, enhancing community engagement.
Voting for participatory budgeting in Chicago's 35th Ward is open until November 30, allowing residents to influence the allocation of over $1 million for public infrastructure projects. Residents can vote for their preferred project categories, with winners receiving at least $350,000 each for implementation. This marks the 11th participatory budgeting cycle and the first under Ald. Anthony Quezada.
Chicago restaurants provide free and discounted meals to families affected by the pause in SNAP funding, impacting around 2 million residents. Offers include free meals at various locations and discounted coupons for those in need. Local food pantries also ramp up efforts to support the community during this challenging time.
Michael Yoo and Jimmy Jung launched 82 Kimbap, a fast-casual eatery in Sterling Food Hall, serving Korean rice rolls. The duo, inspired by their craving for Korean comfort food, spent months perfecting their recipes before opening their stall. 82 Kimbap aims to provide a taste of home for the Asian American community in Chicago.
Wicker Park’s “Meet Me On Milwaukee” car-free events will return in 2026 after a successful pilot program this year. The events, which closed Milwaukee Avenue to traffic for several Sundays, attracted significantly increased foot traffic, benefiting local businesses. Organizers reported attendance tripled during the August event compared to last year.
Tenants groups in Chicago urge local leaders to implement an eviction moratorium amid ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations targeting residents. The All-Chicago Tenants Alliance argues that fear of eviction exacerbates financial struggles for vulnerable workers, particularly in the Latino community. Mayor Brandon Johnson expressed willingness to consider the request, while no response has come from Governor JB Pritzker.
President Donald Trump stated that federal immigration agents in Chicago “haven’t gone far enough” in their enforcement actions during a “60 Minutes” interview. He defended the use of aggressive tactics, despite public outcry and incidents involving the use of tear gas and rubber bullets against protesters. Local leaders continue to criticize these operations and seek peaceful resistance.
The City Council's zoning committee approved a cannabis dispensary near Wrigley Field and two apartment developments in Andersonville and East Garfield Park on Monday. The dispensary, set to open at 3650 N. Clark St., will be the closest to Wrigley Field, while the apartment projects aim to increase affordable housing in their respective neighborhoods.
Three new restaurants are set to open in Bronzeville, including the Southern Southeast Asian eatery Dixie Pura, which recently celebrated its grand opening. Meanwhile, Turner Haus Brewery has paused its daily operations to focus on future plans after operating for nearly two years.